Sensitivity increase in molecular recognition by decrease of the sensing particle size and by increase of the receptor binding site--a case with chemomechanical polymers.

For the first time it is shown that diminishing the particle size of a chemomechanical polymer leads to a dramatic sensitivity increase, with a large response triggered e.g. by action of external AMP; as illustrated with carbohydrate model complexes in solution, the necessary high binding affinity can be achieved by providing an excess of recognition units in one of the partners.